Apparatus and methods for clock duty cycle correction and deskew are provided. In certain embodiments, a clock distribution circuit includes a clock driver that provides a differential clock signal to a clock slicer over a pair of transmission lines. The clock distribution circuit further includes a resistor-inductor-capacitor (RLC) tuning circuit for providing termination between the pair of transmission lines and a differential input to the clock slicer. The RLC tuning circuit includes a pair of resistor digital-to-analog converters (resistor DACs or RDACs) coupled to the pair of transmission lines and a pair of controllable inductor-capacitor (LC) circuits coupled to the pair of transmission lines.

A method for determining the state of a piezoelectric element, in particular the piezoelectric element of a sensor apparatus, it is provided. The piezoelectric element is a component of a resonant circuit. The resonant circuit is excited to natural vibrations. The period durations of the natural vibrations of the resonant circuit are captured, and conclusions are drawn regarding the state of the piezoelectric element base on the period durations of the natural vibrations. A sensor apparatus with at least one piezoelectric element is provided. The sensor apparatus has at least one resonant circuit and that the piezoelectric element is a component of the resonant circuit. The sensor apparatus includes at least one evaluator for capturing and evaluating the natural vibrations of the resonant circuit. The evaluator includes at least one storage device for storing reference resonance frequencies that have been determined in advance.

A method for determining the state of a piezoelectric element, in particular the piezoelectric element of a sensor apparatus, it is provided. The piezoelectric element is a component of a resonant circuit. The resonant circuit is excited to natural vibrations. The period durations of the natural vibrations of the resonant circuit are captured, and conclusions are drawn regarding the state of the piezoelectric element base on the period durations of the natural vibrations. A sensor apparatus with at least one piezoelectric element is provided. The sensor apparatus has at least one resonant circuit and that the piezoelectric element is a component of the resonant circuit. The sensor apparatus includes at least one evaluator for capturing and evaluating the natural vibrations of the resonant circuit. The evaluator includes at least one storage device for storing reference resonance frequencies that have been determined in advance.

Disclosed is an auto-calibration circuit and method to generate the precise pulses that are required for energy savings achieved by using wide-band resonating cells for digital circuits. The calibration circuit performs a calibration technique by programming the number of PMOS devices and NMOS devices in parallel to an inverter, and these numbers are dynamically changed based on a target reference voltage that is defined by a resistance ratio or any PVT-independent reference voltages could also be set as a target voltage level.

Disclosed is an auto-calibration circuit and method to generate the precise pulses that are required for energy savings achieved by using wide-band resonating cells for digital circuits. The calibration circuit performs a calibration technique by programming the number of PMOS devices and NMOS devices in parallel to an inverter, and these numbers are dynamically changed based on a target reference voltage that is defined by a resistance ratio or any PVT-independent reference voltages could also be set as a target voltage level.

A narrow pulse generation circuit used in a sequential equivalent sampling system. The circuit comprises a crystal oscillator, an edge sharpening circuit, an avalanche transistor single-tube amplifying circuit and a shaping network connected in sequence, wherein the edge sharpening circuit is used for carrying out edge sharpening on a square wave signal generated by the crystal oscillator; the avalanche transistor single-tube amplifying circuit is used for carrying out avalanche amplification on the sharpened square wave signal to generate a Gaussian pulse signal to adjust the amplitude of a pulse; and the RC shaping network is used for shaping the Gaussian pulse signal to adjust the pulse width at the bottom of the pulse to form a narrow pulse signal. The narrow pulse circuit has a simple structure and narrow pulse width at the bottom and facilitates increasing a signal-to-noise ratio of a whole sequential sampling system.

A narrow pulse generation circuit used in a sequential equivalent sampling system. The circuit comprises a crystal oscillator, an edge sharpening circuit, an avalanche transistor single-tube amplifying circuit and a shaping network connected in sequence, wherein the edge sharpening circuit is used for carrying out edge sharpening on a square wave signal generated by the crystal oscillator; the avalanche transistor single-tube amplifying circuit is used for carrying out avalanche amplification on the sharpened square wave signal to generate a Gaussian pulse signal to adjust the amplitude of a pulse; and the RC shaping network is used for shaping the Gaussian pulse signal to adjust the pulse width at the bottom of the pulse to form a narrow pulse signal. The narrow pulse circuit has a simple structure and narrow pulse width at the bottom and facilitates increasing a signal-to-noise ratio of a whole sequential sampling system.

An embodiment pulse generator circuit comprises a first electronic switch coupled between first and second nodes, and a second electronic switch coupled between the second node and a reference node. An LC resonant circuit comprising an inductance and a capacitance is coupled between the first and reference nodes along with charge circuitry comprises a further inductance in a current flow line between a supply node and an intermediate node in the LC resonant circuit. Drive circuitry of the electronic switches repeats, during a sequence of switching cycles, charge time intervals, wherein the capacitance in the LC resonant circuit is charged via the charge circuit, and pulse generation time intervals, wherein a pulsed current is provided to the load via the first and second nodes. The charge and pulse generation time intervals are interleaved with oscillation time intervals where the LC resonant circuit oscillates at a resonance frequency.

An embodiment pulse generator circuit comprises a first electronic switch coupled between first and second nodes, and a second electronic switch coupled between the second node and a reference node. An LC resonant circuit comprising an inductance and a capacitance is coupled between the first and reference nodes along with charge circuitry comprises a further inductance in a current flow line between a supply node and an intermediate node in the LC resonant circuit. Drive circuitry of the electronic switches repeats, during a sequence of switching cycles, charge time intervals, wherein the capacitance in the LC resonant circuit is charged via the charge circuit, and pulse generation time intervals, wherein a pulsed current is provided to the load via the first and second nodes. The charge and pulse generation time intervals are interleaved with oscillation time intervals where the LC resonant circuit oscillates at a resonance frequency.

Disclosed is an auto-calibration circuit and method to generate the precise pulses that are required for energy savings achieved by using wide-band resonating cells for digital circuits. The calibration circuit performs a calibration technique by programming the number of PMOS devices and NMOS devices in parallel to an inverter, and these numbers are dynamically changed based on a target reference voltage that is defined by a resistance ratio or any PVT-independent reference voltages could also be set as a target voltage level.